


The Affairs of Dragons

by GaeilgeRua



Series: Scríofa ag Rua [7]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe, Dragon Keepers - Freeform, Gen, hard lessons, romania - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-06
Updated: 2020-10-06
Packaged: 2021-03-09 07:35:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 644
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27130018
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GaeilgeRua/pseuds/GaeilgeRua
Summary: Some lessons are harder to learn than others.
Relationships: Pansy Parkinson & Charlie Weasley
Series: Scríofa ag Rua [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1965694
Comments: 1
Kudos: 6
Collections: 31 Days of Writing Challenge - Fall 2020, RAREHPBINGO





	The Affairs of Dragons

**Author's Note:**

  * For [CrimsonKat](https://archiveofourown.org/users/CrimsonKat/gifts).



> Day six for 31 Days of Writing Challenge and Rare HP Bingo.
> 
> 31 Days: October 6th-Gift Fic  
> Rare HP Bingo square I1: Charlie Weasley/Pansy Parkinson
> 
> So I was originally writing this for a different event and I didn't like how it was working out for that event, so I reached out to Squarepeg72 for help. She's perfect for bouncing ideas off of and giving feedback and she didn't disappoint here. We kept the original idea of using the below quote and changed things and people around and I love how it's turned out. The quote is one that my friend Crimsonkat loves, so I hope she enjoys this little tale based off of that quote. Squarepeg72 also beta'd for me. If there are any errors after she read it over, they are my own.
> 
> Quote: Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup.
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own anything or anyone recognizable from the HP world. I also do not own the quote and depending on your resources, the quote came from Suzanne McMinn and is based off of a line from J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. I am not making any money off of this.

“Parkinson! What are you doing?”

“Wha—” The witch in question whirled around to find Charlie standing behind her. “I’m just trying to he—”

Charlie shook his head. “What have I told you since day one?”

“Not to meddle in the affairs of dragons,” she replied with a sniff. Pansy walked over to where Charlie was standing in the doorway to the hatchling area.

“And why don’t we do that?” Charlie prompted as he stepped back to allow her to leave.

Instead of moving, Pansy gave him a stern look.

Crossing his arms over his chest, Charlie didn’t back down. “You might be stubborn, Miss Parkinson, but I am too. Which will it be, because I can stand here all day.”

She rolled her eyes, but muttered, “Because I am crunchy and taste good with ketchup.”

“Exactly,” Charlie replied. “Come sit with me.”

Pansy followed Charlie over to the bench outside the hatchling room, sitting gracefully as he plopped down.

“You’re a pure-blood,” Pansy grumbled. “I can’t believe you’re using Muggle phrases for teaching purposes.”

“If it gets you to remember what you should and should not do, I’ll use as many as I need to,” Charlie told her with a raised eyebrow.

Crossing her arms, Pansy lifted her chin defiantly. “You might be right, Weasley, but that doesn’t change the fact that it’s hard to sit by and watch them struggle.”

“I know, Pansy,” Charlie said as he tugged one of her hands free and wrapped it in his. “It never gets any easier either. I remember the first time I lost a dragon; I had been on the reserve only a couple of months, less time than you’ve been here, when we had two male Vipertooths get into it over a female. Usually once one of them ends up with a wound, they tend to slink away to tend to them, but this time the wounded dragon wouldn’t let up. Greyheart ended up killing Arabet that day.

“I nearly left the reserve that night, but one of the older reserve keepers saw me wavering and pulled me aside to talk with me. She told me that while dragons are some of the strongest and fiercest creatures, they can also be some of the most delicate, and that’s why we’re here. Yes, we are here to take care of dragons, but we have to be careful with how much we intervene, especially when it comes to the hatchlings.

“I have a question for you, if the babies are not strong enough to break through the shell how long do you think they’ll last outside the shell?”

Pansy looked down at their connected hands as she quietly pondered his question.

“Not very long,” she finally replied.

“Exactly,” Charlie said. “Remember, there is only so much we can do when it comes to dragons as they’re impervious to many spells we humans use. And the potions we _are_ able to use only last for so long.”

Silence decided between the two again, allowing the click-clack of talons against eggshell interiors to be heard in the hallway.

“You’re right,” Pansy said. “I just never realised I would care so much.”

Charlie laughed. “You wouldn’t be here if you didn’t care about dragons. It takes a special kind of person to care for dragons, and I think before you know it, you’ll realise that you’re just that kind of person.”

“I hope you’re right.”

“Of course, I am!” He finally released her hand and stood up. “Now, let’s go back in there and see what’s going on with our batch of Fireballs, shall we? Who knows, maybe I’ll have another Muggle phrase up my sleeve to use as a teaching tool,” he winked at her, “for you.”

Pansy rolled her eyes, but stood up, following Charlie into the hatchling room. “I would be more surprised if you didn’t.”


End file.
